Curtain appliance.



A. BALAZS.

CURTAIN APPLIANCE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

1,056,315, Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

HIsATTuRN g coLulilA WRAP O..I'ASHINDTO4 n c UNITED STATES PATENT oniricii. f

ANDREW BALAZS, OF MARTINS FERRY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T MICHAEL RIGO, STEVEN RIGO, STEVEN BALAZS, ANDREW BALAZS, JOHN BIRO, AND RUDOLPH GRAFF, PARTNERS DOING BUSINESS AS THE FIRST HUNGARIAN INVENTORS COMPANY,

ALL OF MARTINS FERRY, OHIO.

CURTAIN APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW Bnnfizs, a subject of the King of Hungary, and resident of Martins Ferry, county of Belmont, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to curtain appliances, and more particularly to curtain operating devices.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a curtain support having tension means whereby a pair of curtains suspended in a doorway or similar passage are normally held in a position leaving the passage open and adapted to be manually operated for closing said passage.

A further object is to provide an operating mechanism for sliding curtains adapted to take the place of the usual folding doors in dwellings. And a still further object is to provide a curtain operating mechanism which is simple in its construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

IVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the curtain operating mechanism, showing the hinged cover raised; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views 1 indicates a bar adapted to be mounted in a suitable manner in a stationary horizontal position across the upper part of a doorway or like opening with its opposite ends located, preferably, in pockets, similar to sliding door pockets, provided in the wall at opposite sides of a doorway. Rigidly mounted in a stationary horizontal position adjacent to the upper edge of said bar. as in supporting members 2, is a guide-rod 3, and mounted in like manner adjacent to the lower edge of said bar is a second guide-rod 41, said rods having slidably mounted thereon a pair of vertically-disposed members 5 and 6. Each of said members carries upon its lower end a curtain-engaging device, as a hook 7. adapted for attachment to the top of a cur tain 8 adjacent to the inner edge thereof, said curtains being supported by rings 9, or analogous devices, slidably mounted upon the rod 4 at the outer sides of the members 5 and 6.

Located in fixed position adjacent to each of the ends of the bar 1 is a pulley bracket 10 in each of which is mounted a pulley 11; and located at a point substantially midway between the ends of said bar is a bracket 12 in which is mounted a pulley 13. Alined rods 14:, arranged intermediate and parallel to the guide-rods 3 and 4:, have their inner ends rigidly held at opposite sides of the central pulley bracket 12 and their outer ends supported adjacent to the end brackets 10. The rods 14 extend through eyes 15 provided there for in the members 5 and 6, and connected to each of said members is the end of a retractile coil spring 16 carried by the rod 14 and having its opposite end connected to a suitable lug 17 located adjacent to the outer end of the rod 14. The springs 16 are of such length and have such retractility that they normally act to hold the members 5 and 6 drawn outward maintaining the curtains 8 in open position with respect to the doorway.

An operating cord 18 has one end rigidly attached to the member 6, as shown at 19, and thence extends horizontally underneath the central pulley 13, through an eye 20 in the opposite member 5, to and over the pulley 11 at the end on which said member 5 operates, thence back in a horizontal direc tion to the member 5 and is rigidly connected to said member, as shown at 21, thence extends horizontally to and over central pulley 13, through an eye 22 in member 6, and over pulley 1.1 at the end on which said member 6 operates, and thence extends downward to constitute a hand portion, as shown at 23.

As hereinbefore indicated, the springs 16 normally maintain the curtains drawn back to maintain the doorway open. When it is desired to close the doorway, the hand portion of the operating cord 18 is grasped,

and tension applied thereto acts to draw the members 5 and 6, against the retractile force exerted by springs 16, toward the central pulley bracket 12, moving the curtains 8 therewith to closely adjacent positions, whereupon said hand portion is rigidly secured, as shown at 25.

For concealing from view the mechanism carried by the bar 1, a plate or cover 2%. is hinged to the upper part of said bar so as to normally lie suspended in front thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The outer or exposed faces of the bar It and cover 24: may be' ornamented in any appropriate manner for presenting a pleasing appearance.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A curtain appliance for doorways comprising a support, a pair of parallel guiderods carried by said support, pulleys arranged at opposite ends oi? said support, curtains suspended from and. slidable upon the lower of said rods, a rod intermediate and parallel to said guidearods, a pair of slidable members operating on said rods and connected to said curtains adjacent to the outer edges thereof, a pair of retractile springs on the last named rod, each of said springs being interposed between a fixed point adjacent to a pulley and the adjacentslidable member and having its opposite ends rigidly connected to such point and to said member whereby the latter is normally maintained retracted for holding the cun tains in doorway-opening position, and a cord operating over said pulleys and having connection with both of said slidable members whereby the latter may be actuated to approach each other for drawing said curtains to doorway-closing position.

2. A curtain appliance for doorways comprising a support, a pair of parallel guide rods carried by said support, pulleys arranged at opposite ends of said support, a pulley located midway between said ends, curtains suspended from and slidable upon the lower of said guide-rods, a pair of alined rods interposed between and parallel to said guide-rods and between the central pulley and the end pulleys, a retractile coil spring mounted on each of said alined rods adjacent to the end pulley and having an end attached to a fixed part adjacent to said pulley, a slidable member operating on said guide-rods adjacent to each spring and having the adjacent end of the latter attached thereto, said member having a part attached to the outer edge of the adjacent curtain, said springs normally maintaining said members retracted for holding the curtains in doorway-opening position, and a cord operating over all of said pulleys and having connection with both of said slidable members whereby the latter may be actuated to approach each other for drawing said curtains to doorway-closing position.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREVV BALAZS. Witnesses:

H. E. DUNLAP, L. D. Memos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

